There’s a new General Store heading our way, and it’s not of the five-and-dime variety. Local musician Steven Fiore’s General Store is an unplugged concert series that pays tributes to the days of old-time radio shows, offering up stripped-down performances by both local and national songwriters. The first run of the series is going down Sat. Dec. 1 at PURE Theatre. Fiore is even constructing a vintage backdrop set to make things look truly old school.
During the General Store shows, Fiore says that audience members are not just free to interact with the players, they are encouraged to. “It’s as if you were just playing for someone in your living room. Anyone can call out a question,” Fiore says, also noting that listeners can make requests as well. “That’s the vibe I want to put out there.”
Fiore’s inspiration comes from an appreciation of the long-gone days. “The old-fashioned general store was where you would have gone before the Walmarts, Kmarts, or even record stores to pick up your records,” Fiore says. “The idea behind the name itself came from bringing music back to that time when it was an experience when people would listen to music for the sake of music. Charleston doesn’t really have a listening room of that size. There isn’t a similar venue for audience to go experience and hear songs without bar clutter.”
The first concert features Nathan Jake of Heyrocco, Haley Shaw, and Fiore with Entropy Ensemble. Tickets are $15 and doors open at 7 p.m. —Libby Conwell
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